The Phoenix Suns are already crowded with point guards as training camp opens, and Rob Dillingham is not the kind of name they should be chasing.
That’s the real takeaway here: even with his former first-round pedigree, Dillingham doesn’t look like the right fit for this roster. If the Suns end up adding another big-name guard to the mix, he’d be a worse bet for them than D’Angelo Russell.
There’s always a little pull when a former eighth overall pick becomes available for what would almost certainly be the minimum. On paper, it’s easy to talk yourself into a reclamation project. But Dillingham never managed to sort it out with the Minnesota Timberwolves, a team that’s in contention while Phoenix is trying to get back there.
He might be a talent upgrade over Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin, but the Suns already have a reason to prefer that pair. They defend, they fit, and in Goodwin’s case, he brings length and the ability to handle multiple positions. That’s the type of backcourt partner head coach Jordan Ott wants around Devin Booker.
Goodwin matters even more because of the way he seems to lift the players around him. Russell, by comparison, would bring his own problems as a score-first guard who can be tough to fit in a balanced setup. Still, he’s at least shown some success before with the Timberwolves and Brooklyn Nets.
Phoenix also made a more sensible move by taking a look at Kennedy Chandler on a training camp deal. Chandler is even smaller than Dillingham, but the Suns are giving him a chance to battle for a spot, and the best-case outcome for him is beating out one of the players currently on two-way contracts. Duop Reath is in that mix too, and he has a say in how that battle plays out.
There’s also some optimism around Green after he arrived at camp following summer workouts with Steve Nash. The Suns are hoping he can help clean up their point guard situation and fit better next to Booker. He’s a stronger scorer than Dillingham, and there’s even a case to be made that he’s the better defender too.
At this point, Phoenix has enough score-first guards who need defensive cover. That’s what makes Dillingham such a poor fit. Even if the season goes sideways and the Suns have to make major changes, he still wouldn’t be the answer.
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